The Irony of Rain
by shinee-pebbles
Summary: His eyes were infact the colour of torrential rain, ironic that he met the love of his life in exactly that. SasuHina AU will not be updated regularly, it's a work in progress. : ON HIATUS
1. Chapter 1

Many thought his eyes were black, the same colour as his tarnished soul, his broken heart, but His eyes were not black. They were, infact, the colour of stormy skies, the colour of cold steel, that bordered just on line of a deep blue, uniquely found in only the deeper, colder, more mysterious areas of the ocean. His eyes were the melancholy colour of torrential rain.

Ironic though, that he met the love of his life in exactly that. In the heart of monsoon season, when the only sunlight that filtered through the dark heavy clouds were just streaks of a lighter shade of grey. It had been the beginning of another cold downpour...

Lightning flashed across the sky, casting a bright white streak for a moment, then all that was left was the dark grey. The thunder came a few second later. She counted while running. There was 2 seconds in between the lightning and then its sound. So the storm was 2 kilometres away, she should hurry. She needed to be as far away as possible before her father noticed she had disappeared. Glancing at her watch the time was 6:23. It would be exactly 1 hour and 37 minutes before he would get home. She didn't know how long it would take the storm to reach her, but she knew she needed shelter fast. Looking around, she'd already run for quite a while and her legs were beginning to ache. She'd already taken the train, getting off at the station furthest away from where she had started, and then a bus to the end of the line, and then another train, then she'd run flat out for 20 minutes, the houses and shops were starting to thin out, this only upped her spirits and she ran faster, not caring where she was heading, as long as it was away from 'home'. She'd come back from school that day, at 4 o'clock and hurriedly stuffed everything she thought was essential into her worn out country road bag. She'd written a hastily scrawled out note which read: Life was never fair, and it never will be. Goodbye. Then she'd left, giving her cousin one last hug, leaving him befuddled at the sudden show of affection. She stopped for a second, just to relieve the chronic aching in her legs and regain her breathe a bit. It was then that the rain started.

Looking out the window of his dark room, he watched the storm. Rain hit the window panes, making the soft repetitive tinkling noises that had a calming effect on him. He observed the raindrops hit and collect until the tiny puddles gathered up enough to race down, leaving trails of smaller drops clinging to the cool glass. The lightning flashed, illuminating his well-formed face for a few short seconds, then it faded, leaving him in the dark, alone once again. He sighed, and muttered something to himself, his own ramblings drowned out by the deep rumbling noise of the storm. Today was the anniversary, the anniversary mourning the car crash that left him alone with his brother. The child protection agency had insisted they be sent off to some stupid foster home, but his brother won the court case and most of the jury agreed that his older brother was indeed mature enough to take care of them both. Yes, his brother could provide for them both, but what was the use when his brother lived 573 kilometres away in another city, but Sasuke liked it this way. To hell, If the child agency ever came to take him away, he'd run away from every foster home they sent him to, and eventually they would give up. Moving away from the window, he pulled the curtains closed and left his room. He walked down the hall, his footsteps echoing the dull thuds as he heavily dragged himself to the door. He pulled on his brothers old coat, slipped on some shoes and armed himself with his favourite black umbrella, then stepped outside into the storm. It was the same umbrella he'd taken to the funeral...

The rain was coming down in sheets now, the temperature was dropping rapidly and she now regretted she had not thought enough about shelter when she had the chance. Snuggling deeper into the thin wool jumper she'd snatched at the last minute, she tried to retain whatever warmth she had left. The small grove of trees she managed to take shelter under offered little to no protection from the rain. The leaves were large, but spaced out. Unlike the thick sheets of rain that anyone would suffer from if they were out, which was highly unlikely, the 'rain' that hit Hinata was not. The leaves gathered up the rainwater in little pools and without warning would splatter her with unpredictable sploshes. She was now thoroughly soaked. The thin layers of fleece she wore clung to her body, like a second skin, only the woollen pullover to cover what was left of her modesty . The goose bumps were beginning to rise on the pale skin of her arms, she could feel them as she hugged her knees as close as they would go to her chest, her head resting on her knees. The cold was beginning to seep through her and she was only reminded of the forlorn state she was in, and she couldn't help but cry. Her dark hair matting to her head as more water poured down on her and she could only wonder how it was possible for everything to be so cold and wet, while her face felt hot and her eyes stung as a different type of wetness slid down her cheeks. Burying her head into her arms she curled into a little ball. Crying out the pain, shame and bitterness that she had tried so desperately to escape. For anyone who'd have seen her, if they could see without the rain obscuring everything in their path, she would have looked like a wet, discarded, shivering pile of clothes.


	2. Chapter 2

Walking to a continuous rhythm, he headed to nowhere in particular. He just needed to escape, escape from the memory of being alone, the memory of how he had ended up alone. Walking to an intersection in the road, he stopped for a moment, checking for cars, there were none. Looking down, he caught his reflection in a puddle. God how he hated it, people always told him how handsome he was, how lucky he was to be such a handsome young gentleman.

Lucky.

They thought he was lucky. A gentleman? He scoffed. They thought they knew everything, and yet they knew nothing. He assumed that was why the girls were always after him. Who could tame the wild Uchiha boy? Who could mend his broken heart? They were all the same. They thought they knew him well enough to understand, but no one understood.

Sometimes they'd look at him with pity, he just wanted to smash their face in. How dare they think just because he didn't have parents anymore, did that mean that they better than him? More... Lucky? Getting lost in his own hateful thoughts, he was brought back to reality by the gentle pounding of the rain against the black material of his umbrella.

He kicked the puddle, his reflection warped as the water exploded in flurry of violent ripples. He walked on, irritated that one of his pant legs were wet. Looking up for a moment, he checked where he was going.

He remembered this place, it had been two's year ago, this place was flashing past and he'd been staring out the back window, watching the drops of rain stick to the car windows, then race each other to the side, then disappear only to be replaced by the new rain-racers that clung onto slick outer surface car, he made secret bets, laughing when he won, though disappointed by the fact his Aniki could not bet on the rain-racers with him.

He paid no attention to the seatbelt rubbing against his back. The car swerved abruptly, he heard a screeching noise and the next thing he knew, he'd woken up jumbled in the crisp white sheets of a hospital bed, without any parents. He's eyes scrunched at the thought, apparently he'd been the only one to survive, because of the position he'd been in. How ironic that it had been him not sitting correctly.

Why was it that whenever he took a walk, he'd subconsciously bring himself here?

He remembered the trees that just had to be planted there, he remembered Itachi showing him the mangled wreck of their car, broken glass sticking out of the twisted heap of metal at awkward angles, their parents long gone. He remembered his brother placing a small white rose at the base of the little group of trees, he'd gone there everyday after school that week, to just cry. After a while, the pain numbed and he was able to resume life, even if it would never be the same. The trees were up ahead, still standing strong.

Stupid trees.

It was then, while glaring at the trees he noticed something there. Someone left their trash there. He felt the bile rise up in his throat. How could someone go and defile the place where his parents last moment on earth were. He spat the bitter fluid out and broke into a run. He wanted to hurt who had done this, hurt them a lot.

All the pain he'd bottled up, decided to explode right then and in blind rage, he kicked the pile of clothes, hoping to affect the owner of the clothes in some insignificant way. The clothes didn't scatter as he hoped, instead the 'pile of clothes' fell over and yelped in pain. Confused, shocked and startled, Sasuke's bottle of anger was re-corked with some difficulty. He waited for the person to say something, or do something; otherwise he was going to kick them again. He crouched down, looking at the person closely, one of their arms blocking his view of their face.

"Hey. You." He folded the black umbrella in, the rain still pounding down on the two of them, but at the moment, it seemed insignificant. He prodded the person with the sharp tip of the umbrella, they still didn't move, he was getting impatient now. Roughly, he yanked their arm away, and he flinched in realization, his chest feeling uncomfortably tight as the rare sensation of regret slapped him square in the face. Lying on the sodden ground, a girl, who couldn't be older than 16, lay unconscious on the ground, her closed eyes, face frozen in a pained expression. He stood up again, running a hand through his messy black, wet dripping hair, not quite sure what to do.

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A/N I will try to keep Sasuke in best character as possible, and just to remind everyone, this story isn't meant to be very fluffy, but they will love eachother as time goes on and the story progresses.


	3. Chapter 3

She opened her eyes, blinking a few times for the image before her focused. She was in someone's room. In shock and fear she tried to sit up, terrified that they'd found her and taken her back, but flinched when she felt her side throbbed with pain at the sudden movement. Slowly, she eased herself back down.

What had happened?

Her eyes felt puffy and there was definitely something wrong with her right side. Sinking further into the clean bed sheets, she thought hard. The last thing she remembered was pain. Wait... What happened before that? She's run away from home and then it started to rain, she found cover and then, the horrible possibility dawned.

Sitting up straight this time, she flinched, the pain still goaded her, despite her attempts to ignore it. Yanking of the covers of the bed, she looked down. She wasn't in her own clothes, and so she thought her beliefs had been confirmed. Where was she now? Who had violated her once again? Question after question ran unanswered through her head and the fretful young girl came to one conclusion.

She had to escape.

Her feet hitting the cold wood floor, she made a desperate dash to the door, praying that it wasn't locked. It's wasn't. She almost whooped with relief, choking back the tears that threatened to spill as she told herself she still had a hope.

Opening the door just a crack, she heard something coming down, what she assumed was the hall. It took everything in her not to yell out in frustration and fear. Defeated, she went back to the bed she had woken up in and hid beneath the sheets, already on the verge of having yet another emotional breakdown. The door creaked open and a gruff voice spoke.

"Hey.You. Are you up yet?"

She whimpered. What would happen if she said yes?

"I know you're awake. Get up already."

What was wrong with this girl? She should have been thanking him for saving her or something. When he'd arrived back home, carrying an additional person, the storm had only gotten worse. He was getting impatient again...

"Oi."

He poked her. She squeaked.

"P-Please don't h-hurt m-me."

What the hell? Maybe she had gotten sick and was delirious or something.

"Get up. I made breakfast."

Hinata only wiggled under the sheets, maybe it was a trap to lure her out? Then, without warning, the sheets were ripped away from her and a disgruntled young man stood there staring angrily at her.

"Seriously. What is your problem?" She seemed to wince at the words he threw at her. He sighed. Maybe he shouldn't have kicked her so hard. He'd probably traumatized her or something.

"I won't hurt you, ok? Look last time was a one off, I didn't mean it." This didn't really help at all. Her eyes only opened wider and she backed herself up against his wall.

"L-Last t-t-ime?"

Grumbling, Sasuke plonked himself beside her on the bed. He had a lot of explaining to do.

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She sat on the couch, crouched in the same position he'd found her in, now wearing a pair of his boxer shorts and a loose hooded jacket that had belonged to Itachi, she and just sat a stared. She'd been like that for at least twenty minutes now.

Glancing behind him, he saw but the top of her head, a small bob of unusual indigo hair, and then he went back to eating his cereal. Staring down at the sodden flakes, he mulled over the previous day and then this morning.

She'd been heavy to lug home, almost like a dead weight. He'd been so worried that he'd killed her or something, murder was not something he needed in his life right now.

When they'd finally reached home, he was relieved to here the sound of her breathing that was now audible inside the silence of his home, the pounding of the heavy rain left alone outside. He'd dropped her onto the ground of the living room, not sure what to do from there.

They were both soaking wet, so he opted that he'd take a hot shower and think over what he could do with the girl. Feeling the hot water roll down his back he realized that she would probably get flu and then die. He wondered if that was counted as murder, or manslaughter.

He dragged her sodden unconscious body to the bathroom and let her soak in the hot water until some colour returned to her cheeks.

Now came the difficult part, changing her into new clothes. Finding spare clothes he thought were suitable, he took her to his room and peeled of all her drenched clothes, trying best to avoid seeing anything that would make him uncomfortable, this included her face.

Keeping his gaze mainly on the smooth flat surface of her midriff he winced at the clearly tender bruise that was forming due to his kick.

He rubbed on some of the stinky ointment that was meant to make bruises disappear, and then bandaged her up. Then he left her to sleep in his bed, to tired from the hard work she was to move her to his brother's room, then he slept on the couch.

He hadn't slept well that night, the couch was hard and he'd woken up a few times during the night and on his third or fourth time, he decided he couldn't sleep anyway. He'd made breakfast of eggs and bacon, which he didn't feel like and then he went to wake her up.

The eggs and bacon now lay on the kitchen counter cold, neither of them wanting to eat something cold and greasy on this grey stormy morning.

He sighed. When he'd explained what basic riff of what happened she apologized for her actions and then thanked him. She'd said nothing since. It made the atmosphere tense and uncomfortable. If she was going to be there, she might as well seem like she existed and was infact alive by talking or doing something at least.

Focusing back on his cereal, he realized that he'd eaten it all and was now just staring into milk. He hated drinking milk by itself. He let the spoon drop back into the bowl making a small splash and then got off his seat, heading towards the couch.

Staring out into the garden, she watching the trees shimmer and distort as the rain continued to pour down. She felt so confused, she had the escape all planned out, and then she'd forgotten everything else beyond that point, never thinking she would even make it that far.

Then he'd come into the picture. She didn't even know his name yet, and he'd taken her in. She didn't know what to think, to feel or to do. Maybe she thought she'd just keep running, until making she arrived in some distant country without an identity, without a name.

Feeling the couch sag down, she looked to her side. He was sitting there staring at her, and she felt her cheeks flush. He really was quite good-looking and she felt so ugly next to him. So... Inferior.

He cleared his throat, deciding for their introductions to be more business like then personal, he held out his ready to shake and said, "Uchiha Sasuke. Age 16"

Puzzled, the little ball she had formed into unravelled and she took his hand, "Hyu-" Should she tell him her real name? What if he realized who she was and sent her back? No that couldn't happen.

"Hyunako Hinata. Age 15 and two months."

He took noted that she only stuttered when frightened or distressed. He smirked at her add on, it really didn't sound very professional at all. Taking his hand out of the shake first, he leaned back on the couch, feeling the tanned leather sink beneath him.

"Why were you out there anyway? You could've got in a lot of dangerous situations." It sounded more like an accusation that a concerned question.

Hinata paused, should she tell him the truth? She'd already lied about her name, if he was to report her now, it would've been all a waste.

"I'm a wanderer. I have no family and don't need one either."

She jerked her head to the side, fearing that if she met his gaze, he'd see through the lie. To Sasuke it seemed liked a dismissal, a metaphoric act of turning away from the authorities, who tried to force upon you another family, another life, in the hope to change you, and change what had happened in the past. The authorities were so naive. He hated them, and she must've thought the same.

Thinking for a moment, a small part of him whispered that maybe she understood, it was unlikely, as unlikely as their meeting, but it was possible, and maybe it could happen. They both lost their family, for him just his mother and father, and she didn't sound like she agreed to foster homes either. He just might accept this girl who came out of nowhere.

"Same here." He said. Looking back at him, her eyes swam with doubt. He didn't seem like the homeless wandering type and surely he had family if he lived in a big house like this, but then she realized he hadn't mentioned anyone else coming home and there hadn't been anyone else enter or leave this house other than her and him.

The pressing guilt of lying was starting to take its toll, and she felt terrible. She did had family, not a very good one, but she still had one. It must've been so hard for him, living alone, with no one to care for you. She still had Neji nii-san.

She brought her unravelled form back into a ball, cautious of the pain that would pinch her if she pressed the spot. She hugged her knees close to her once again, feigning a hug, trying to comfort herself from the feeling of dread that began to cloud her mind. She missed him and he must've been so worried by now.

Sasuke sighed and leaned back, it wasn't exactly the truth that he had no family, there was still his Aniki there for him, even if he was in a city far away. He imagined what it would be like to lose his brother too, to have absolutely no one at all.

Even the simple thought of losing his last remaining family member made him want to scream, kick and break things apart, to curse the world of taking everything from him. A deep frown marred his face, but his stern eyes softened, feeling very sympathetic to the girl and her current predicament.

"Well. I have a brother, but he's working long term in another city." He told her plainly. Secretly hoping she wouldn't think of him differently.

"Um... I have a cousin. He lives in a city far away also." Sighing with a little relief, she was glad for once she didn't have to lie. He was so kind to her after all, even if he'd kicked her, hard. He'd tried to make her as comfortable as possible, which Hinata harshly scolded herself for being so cold back in return.

"How did... they pass?" He glanced up at her, curious and hesitant at talking about a very touchy subject, hoping she wouldn't react the same way he always had when people asked or made any comment about his passed parents, very angrily. She looked confused for a moment but then realized his meaning, regret flashed across her features before being replaced by a subtle sense of sadness.

"My mum died when I was five. She had cancer..." She paused, that part was at least true, and very painful to think over. "My Father died in a car crash." In reality, this was the death that Hinata had played out in her mind when he hurt her. Something fast, and gruesome, something accidental.

"Yeah. My parents went that way... It was all so sudden." Pain laced his every word and it only made Hinata cringed as her lies began to spiral. The saying was true, each time you tell a lie, it only gets easier, and every lie brought a more serious outcome. It was something she feared yet hoped for. How ironic it was though, that the very cause of his parents' deaths was the one she wished upon her own.

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A/N They're first proper introduction, and the longer chapter than usual. enjoy.


	4. Chapter 4

By the time their fractured conversation ended, it was well into the afternoon, the spent the remainder of the day inside, playing board games, as the rain was still pounding down outside. She slept in his parent's room that night and he slept in his own.

In the early hours of morning he woke up, taking with him a pillow, he sat outside her room. Secretly longing to hear life behind his parents closed doors, he needed to feel like he wasn't alone anymore, even it was only the steady sound of her soft breathing.

He was grateful for her, the sound of someone alive other than himself, the feeling of having someone to live for, someone to notice if he vanished just like his parents had, the feeling of not being alone. He fell asleep there, curled up on the floor, his pillow offering some comfort that was lost due to the hard polished floor. Despite his uncomfortable resting spot, he slept better than he had in years, a quiet undisturbed sleep, dreaming dreams that he would never remember by the next morning.

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When day broke, the sun had begun to peek shyly through the thinning clouds, its first warm rays of sunshine making the dew dotted earth sparkle. A small squirrel poked its head out of the small hollow knot of a twisted apple tree, sensing that the rain had gone. It swiftly leapt out of its tree, and ran along another branch in search of food. Chattering away, it scampered across a roof.

Underneath that roof, a 15 and a half year old girl awoke, sweaty and distressed, a bad dream still fresh in her mind, playing over and over like a broken record, a very vivid broken record. Curling onto her side, she let the tears she had cried in her dream slide down her ashen cheeks, softly whispering, through hiccups and soft sharp intakes of breathe, that it was just that, a dream and nothing more.

Squeezing her eyes shut, she let the last tears slid down her face, before she sat up and wiped them away with the back of her hand, willing herself to be strong. Looking to the bedside tables, she searched for a box of tissues, instead she saw a lone photo framed, turned down so that the picture could not be seen.

Curious, she shuffled towards the bedside table with the over turned photo frame, the bed sheets still twisted around her body as she thrashed around that night. Gentle grasping the wooden frame, she brought it upright and held it so the morning light could shine upon the forgotten picture. It was of a family, it must have been his family, when his parents were still alive.

A small hesitant smile crept onto her face, and her dream began to fade away like the misty white breathes on a winter night. Tracing the light willow wood frame, she ran her fingers along the smiling faces that beamed at her behind a thin pane of glass. She noticed that he had his father's eyes, sunken in and serious looking, almost mysterious. He had his mother's smile, if he were to smile and he also had her nose, a very delicate well shaped nose. Then was his brother, who was also very handsome, Hinata giggled at her own thoughts. Lastly, there was Sasuke himself. Sitting in the front of the happy family, the sincerity and childish innocence shining out from his deep blue eyes, he seemed awkwardly un-photogenic, despite his good looks he wore a dorky grin on his face, Hinata tried to restrain laughing out loud, instead came a muffled giggle that sounded, to her, like choking.

Her melancholy mood disappearing fast, she decided to begin the day, feeling uplifted by the family reunion, she untangled herself from the covers and pulled on the hooded jacket Sasuke had leant her. Walking to the door, her footfalls soft, she pulled it open and nearly stumbled over a pile of clothes that had been left there for some reason. (How Ironic.)

Bending down, she realised it was him, and for some peculiar reason, he was asleep outside her door. Maybe he sleepwalked. Sitting down beside him, she decided not to wake him. He looked peaceful, innocent, almost like the younger Sasuke she had seen in the photograph.

Instead she brought him his blanket, as he was only wearing a thin basketball skivvy and boxers similar to the ones she was wearing now. She smiled in satisfaction at the tucked the blanket around his sleeping body, and then decided to make breakfast.

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They sat, opposite each other on the long narrow kitchen bench, and neither spoke a word. Hinata stared out into the garden, a few bird scattered along the power pole lines that lay beyond the pristine garden.

Lost in her own thoughts, she wondered what they were doing at home, no, not home, house. Home was where you wanted to be, home was your haven. House was a building with four walls, made of bricks, wood, and concrete, a place where you were kept, regardless if she liked it or not.

Would her escapade be on the news? Knowing her father, he would want to keep it small, and if it did get out, he'd blame her, he'd play the victim, and she'd be the villain, not matter how ironic the truth was. Knowing that the thoughts of her 'dear daddy' made her bitter, she focused back on her pancakes, pouring the honey amber syrup over them, she wondered if Sasuke liked them.

Sasuke, in the mean while, chewed on his pancakes thoughtfully. The pancakes were good, nicer than anything he cooked, and better than anything his Aniki would bring home in take away. As nice as they were, he could not bring himself to focus on them, instead, wondering just what had happened before he had awoken to the sound of sizzling coming from the kitchen and buried deep into a delicious warmth that was unnatural for a hard wood board floor.

Taking swift glances at the girl in front of him, he wondered what she was thinking. What had been running through her mind, when she found him, curled into a pathetic ball outside her door, she probably thought he was loony. A lot of people tended to think that, like something about his family dying made him insane, made him delusional.

He supposed it would be acceptable, at first he'd thought she'd been crazy. Alone in the rain, in the middle of monsoon season, but then again, he was doing exactly the same. They're eyes met for a second, and he quickly looked away, as if nothing had happened, because nothing did happen.

Stealing the syrup after her, he poured a tiny blob onto his last pancake, smearing it around with the back of his fork, making very sure it was on thin, as he never did like sweet things. Life was not sweet, so why like things that were honeyed, flowery, bright and colourful.

Women were sweet. Always so irritatingly sweet, their words, actions, clothing and perfume, every female and everything about them made him cringe, except the girl sitting opposite of him. She was a perfect wallflower, earnest, sincere and honest. Natural, not painfully dyed some bright artificial colour. Her pancakes were very nice too.

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A/N. Nothing much happening as of yet, more of a what he/she thinks about the other chapter. I'll update soon, promise. Or you can smack me, or review, whichever you prefer.


	5. Chapter 5

Breakfast was finished in silence, exactly the way it had begun, the only exception, a small exchange of 'good mornings'. They did the dish washing together, and the rest of the day went by in quiet comfort, neither of them sure what to do, but both appreciating the other just being there.

It had been nearly five o'clock when Hinata said the first words since breakfast. By that time, the sun had sunken down, half of it swallowed by the horizon, pieces of the sky could be seen through the heavy clouds that had come back once again, like a dyed silk scarf that had been torn to shreds and thrown across a smoke coloured floor. She sat on the small deck of his garden, observing the life that had bloomed all about her.

The flowers bobbed their heads in the breeze, rejoicing for the life giving rain and the warm sunshine that had returned soon after. She heard the cicadas sing and the birds call out their goodnights as they prepared for sleep and she let it relax her, let it fill her anxious mind with a sleepy kind calm, something that numbed her senses.

She practised the words she had strung together in head, rolling them silently over her tongue, practising for the right moment. She had known Sasuke for barely a day, and he had only known her for barely a day. Which made her wonder, why would he say yes? She had nothing to offer, she could cook decently, try and help around the house, she was a highly achieving academic student but that didn't exactly matter and she had no better reason that would convince him to let her stay.

She ran through to possibilities, he could say yes, and from there on it was all up to Kami-sama, whatever he decided, she would accept, and then of course, he could say no.

Hinata bit her lower lip, blinking back the sting that had risen to her eyes. If he said no... Then she would have to leave, follow out to her original plan and run. Run and Hide, and keep running, until the soles of her shoes had worn down and the tears she held inside dried up. Run until there was nothing left but her. Alone, alone and lost in eternal rain, tears of the angels that cried for her, the angels that would cry with her and wash away her tears with their own. She would die, running away from everything that had ever hurt her, and pine for the life that used to be hers on her last breathe.

She cringed, deciding to focus on the sky again once again, the sun was now just peeking out from behind the bold black line that kept the sky and earth eternally separated, soon the sun would be completely gone, and the clouds would swallow up whatever was left of the tattered and torn silk scarf. There was a flash of light and the thunder rumbled soon after that, the rains were coming once again.

Sasuke was walking up and down the halls, restless. He'd been anxious every since lunch, she said she needed to pack, which meant she was leaving, and he didn't want that. Ever since she'd woken up that morning not so long ago, she'd awakened something in him, something that told him he had someone to be there, that he wasn't alone anymore, and he was sure, if she left, that something inside of him would leave too, it would die and the light would leave it's eyes, and he'd be left alone again, inside his small dark room, watching the rain that ran down the window panes. Everything would revert back to what it had been, and he could not let that happen. She was outside on his back porch, watching the sunset. Sasuke took one last glance at the girl sitting of obliviously, staring out into the garden. He wasn't ready for this, of course he could ask her to stay, but he'd have to swallow all the pride he had, and that meant biting of more than he could chew. So leaning against the front door, forehead pressed unto the wood, he hissed in frustration. It seemed like he didn't know what to do anymore, and he hated that.

Hinata made towards her temporary room, everything she'd taken along with her back in her original country road bad, packed and ready. Gulping down the cocktail of feelings that had risen up, she got ready to leave. If he said yes, she was safe. If he said no, she'd be ready to run out the door, escape before he could see the tears were guaranteed to spill. She grabbed the bag, flinging it over her shoulder, she told herself that she could do this, and just because it was most likely he'd say no, it didn't mean he would? Right? Looking down the hall, he was already standing at the door, with his back turned against her. Seemed like he'd already answered her well rehearsed question, again the thunder sounded, the storm was coming closer, and soon the rain would begin to fall, along with the tears that stung her eyes.

Hearing a sharp intake of breathe behind him, he turned his head towards the sound. So she was leaving... Her shoes on, bag on and everything... He supposed if she really wanted to, he couldn't do anything to stop her. Why would she want to stay? She thought he was a lunatic, a cold prick, like all the other males called him, it didn't help that he'd left bruises all over her body. There was no reason for her to stay.

"U-um... S-so t-this is it?" There was another rumble of thunder and this time the lightning visibly broke the sky in two, raking across the underbelly of the unsettled clouds like hot white claws. She kept her eyes on the ground, knowing that if she were to make eye contact, she wouldn't be able to hold the rejection in much longer.

"I suppose so. Yeah." Sasuke concentrated, keeping his voice soft and steady. Any louder and it would tremble and break. He stepped aside, telling himself that this was she wanted. She wanted to be away from him. Another flash of lightning bleached everything white for a second, and then it faded, and she had stepped outside the door.

Hearing a click behind her, she knew the door had closed. Maybe she could turn around and ask again, maybe she could fix it all before it was too late, maybe it was still possible for her to stay, maybe she could convince him enough, just maybe... At that moment, the heavens split open and the rain began to fall, the angels had already begun to weep. Then again... Maybe not...

His hand still tightly clutched on the knob, knuckles turning white because he couldn't seem to let go, he didn't want to let go. Taking a deep breathe, he jerked the door open again, racking his brain for some sort of escape.

"You can't go."

She turned around and her face was already wet, though her clothes were not, and had this been a normal situation, he would've figured out why, but right now he was busy trying to keep his heart from beating so fast that it would pop.

"The rain. Wait until the rain season is over."

She whispered a soft thank you and nodded, a weak smile sending his hopes soaring and Sasuke felt that maybe, just maybe his life would take a turn for the better.

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A/N. Well there's your definite answer to if she's staying, for people who assumed about it in the last chapter. I had mixed feelings about this chapter, it was too rushed I think, much so that the drama was all over the place... Hinata had a bit of an emo moment over there. Hehe.


	6. Chapter 6

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Night had fallen, and Sasuke lay on his bed, belly down with a calendar flipped open before him. Red pen at hand, he flipped through the pages until he found the current month. So he'd bought enough time for about a month, a month in which he'd be able to think up a better, more well executed excuse then what he was using now. His eyes pin pointed an already circled date, the anniversary. Che. Like he needed reminding for that, dragging his index finger a few days ahead of that, his finger slowed, and a tiny almost non existent smile touched his face. He was slightly shocked that it had only been 2 days since he'd found her in the rain, ironically the same reason that he was able to keep her here, for it seemed he'd known her for month now. Going back to business, he flipped to the next page, March, and circled the last day listed, frowning at a small pencil scribbled note telling him that school would start again soon. No matter, he wouldn't have to worry about that for a month, and now that she was here to stay, his worries didn't seem important anymore.

Hinata meanwhile, was in the bathroom, doing all her routine procedures, first up was her shower. Hinata marvelled the spaciousness of his bathroom, it wasn't like her bathroom had been small, but still, this place was really something. The shower was large and open, but had a curtain, and by that was a traditional tub, it was a very deep one and Hinata wondered, as she peeled of her clothes, if she would be able to soak in it some time, and if she did, would she be able to sit with her head above the water?

The steam flooding out from behind the curtain told her that the water had finished heating and she stepped in, sighing at the first proper shower she'd had in 2 days. Mm, fruity soap. She started from her shoulders and then downward from there, pausing only run her fingers across the old scars that had refused to disappear from in between her thighs and up across her buttocks. She frowned, from now on, this was her new life, she needn't think of the past or anything to do with it. When the shower was done with Hinata changed into a clean pair of her underpants, but still refused to wear any of the clothes she'd brought along, a memory of a something she really didn't care about anymore.

Hinata then brushed her teeth, using one of many spare travel pack sets that Sasuke had said His brother always brought home, regardless. She rinsed, then spat, making faces and then smiling widely, pearly white teeth showing, an expression she told herself she'd be using a lot more.

--------------

A week passed by, she learnt how to smile, and him how to chuckle softly.

Then another, and she learnt how to grin, he learnt also.

and another, and they discovered they could laugh and play.

It was on a Wednesday morning, three weeks later that the sky's blanket began to finally began to shed, large gashes of blue streaking the sky like a path that the sun could shine clearly through. They ate pancakes and watched the kids programs until they got bored of the kinder garden suited dialogue. So sitting with there feet matched up lying straight in a line across the couch they discussed what was to become.

"Sasuke, I'm bored."

He grunted, mouth still chewing on the savoury pancakes she decided to invent.

"Yeah, me too." He mumbled, then half choking because she wiggled her toes that only came up to the soles of his feet, which happened to be the only ticklish part of his body that he'd ever admit to.

She figured it out, giggling softly as she wiggled her toes again. He sat up and gulped down the rest of his food, growling as he reached for a pillow, she yelped and sprung off the leather couch and away from her pillow wielding friend and the chase was on. He caught her in the end, after three failed attempts the snatch at her jacket, one nearly successful attempt of dacking her, and the lucky seventh time of grabbing her round the waist.

They lay on the floor, out of breathe and spread like they were making snow angels.

"That was fun." She smiled, still panting.

"Yeah, but I think we should go shopping." She laughed at him and he only raised an eyebrow.

"You're serious?"

He didn't say a thing.

"Well why? I like these clothes." He smirked looking her up and down and making her squirm.

"Me too, it's so easy to dack you-" She looked at him shocked, terrified even and he proved a point by reaching over to tug at his boxers that she still wore. She pushed him off and ran to the door shouting from down the hall. "You're right! Let's go!"

----------------------------

Trudging down the brightly lit 'streets' of the mall, he took a furtive glance towards his companion, she was wearing a large trench coat that went all the way down to her knees and a cap that he said she could wear. She looked pretty strange, infact she looked very strange, like she was meant to be following him through backstreets instead of clutching to his arm as if afraid to get lost if they were separated. He supposed it was reasonable, considering the fact she wasn't wearing much underneath, just a jacket and his boxer shorts, and perhaps the hat was for sun safety?

His theories dissipated when the detective clinging to his arm tugged him towards superstore for clothing. He sighed and followed, checking around for any people he might know, and then avoid them.

The pile began with a T-shirt, a corny phrase that Sasuke hadn't bothered to read and then there were a pair of jeans, another pair of jeans, three more tops, a mug as a gift to him for coming shopping and paying for everything including the mug, and then a pair of flip flops, a pair of low cut converse sneakers that he insisted were better that her old worn pair, and just when he though it was over, she leaned if very close to his ear and whispered, "underwear and stuff?" He nearly died.

He had time to recover from shock while waiting outside the ladies change rooms, holding the cap she'd worn over his face, swearing that if anyone saw him here, literally surrounded in pink frilly lacy women's' undergarments that he would die.

Funny the way life works, because at that moment he heard a voice that matched the underpants around him and made his terror multiply a hundred fold.

"Shiiittt! Sakura..." What would he do? What could he do? There wasn't much of a place to hide, and he would never in a million years dive into some underwear rack on account of the consequences he would face if he was caught practically swimming in the ladies section.

"Hinata, Hinata!" He could grab her and run for it as fast as he could, but what if she was... what if she wasn't adequately covered? But he had to do something, and fast, Sakura was like a dog, an irritating pink dog that could sniff him out a mile away and if she hadn't caught his scent she would anytime soon, so hiding would be useless.

A brilliant idea struck him and he ran past the lady out the front of change rooms, not stopping to apologize for sending a few unsorted clothes to the floor. There was no way this could go wrong, if anyone asked, he'd stay quiet, people would assume whatever they did, he was a guy, and being caught with a girl was no big deal, and Hinata was his friend, she'd understand. He glided past the occupied stalls, crouching to check which one she was in. Recognizing her ankles, he got down on the floor and slipped under.

There was a frightened squeal, and Sasuke uttered out shushed comforts that it was only him and after that they faced opposite walls. It really didn't help that there were mirrors everywhere. Being 16 and a male with hormones that were out of control, he couldn't help but feel curious, and with a flick of his eyes he got the pleasure of seeing her smooth back, almost smooth. He was sure he'd caught something else but glancing at her again, he met with her eyes in a reflection and knew something was wrong. She was red in the face, and her eyes were watery, and Sasuke didn't exactly know why or how or when but he knew he'd done something very, very wrong.

When she was dressed, he took her hand and swung open the door, she yanked her hand out of his with a huff and walked without looking back. Sasuke felt hurt, yet he wasn't sure why, usually it was him flicking the girls off not the other way round. She gave him another low blow at the cash register when she told the acne faced check out boy that she didn't want the mug anymore. He held the purchases and she almost ran ahead, he kept up, still confused and hurt, flanking her with fast long steps. Little did he know, a pair of suspicious green eyes watched then walk out the automatic doors.

----------------------------

A/N When you saw the arrow that was meant to be the end of the last chapter, including the recovery of Hinata's little emo moment... Argh, the time skip was smooth was it not? Because personally, I hate time skips. Finally you know more or so the reason that Hinata hates her father, and you see the warming up of the SasuHina relationship, but hold your horses because the good stuff isn't until later. ;p So like it or not, leave a bit of an in word just for the sake of it.


	7. Chapter 7

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Sitting on the couch as far apart as she could from him, she fumed. She knew he'd look over at her every now and then, and it only made her feel violated again. Of all the people, of all the people that could've seen her half naked why did it have to be him? She trusted him, and he wrecked that. It was almost unbearable to feel that way again, feel dirty and exposed. The insecurity had come flooding back, and she hated it. It was like a storm raging inside her mind, the tense feeling of something heavy squeezing the breath out of her and it made her angry. Hinata was rarely angry. She used to accept what came, let silent tears slide out when it was all over, but what made this time so different?

She heard him stand up, walking to the open kitchen.

"Hinata, I'm sorry ok? I'll make dinner."

She ignored him as best she could. It was difficult, even with the scarce words he'd uttered to explain or apologize, it just wasn't as easy to block him out like she always used to her father, but why was it so different?

He mulled again, letting the bacon fry on the pan. He hadn't felt this weird since... Since that time he and Naruto 'bumped' in class. It was bad enough with the stunts she'd pulled at the mall, because now that he thought about it, he really wanted that mug. Going back to buy it for himself wouldn't be the same though, and now she gave him the silent treatment. So was this what it was like being an infatuated girl trying to talk to him? He scowled at the bacon, now smelling a little burnt and considerably darker than before, he scooped it up and slid it onto a plate. Getting another and flinging it on the Teflon pan.

He apologised the best he could, without mentioning Sakura, but she hardly even spared him a glance. It frustrated him to no end, because if he had done something wrong, couldn't she at least tell him what? Just in case he did it again... Why were girls always so difficult?

He hissed, he'd burnt the bacon again. He put it on the plate with the other piece anyway. He paused for a moment, glaring at the result of his hopeless cooking skills. Screw this. He'd get take out.

"H-Hinata? I'm going out to get some Take out, kay'?"

She didn't respond. Not even a good bye when he wheeled him and his bike out the door.

---------------------

Watching him riding his bike down the street, her frown dissipated and she began to miss him already. She sighed, getting up off the couch and lazily walking down the hall, aimlessly wondering what she could do to ease her conscious that was as of now quite badly marred. She caught her reflection in the hall mirror, taking note of the twinkle that never used to be there.

She wondered where Sasuke was. Riding down a slope maybe? His jacket flapping in the wind behind him, the wind ruffling its fingers through his messy hair, she sighed again.

The house felt... Lonely without him there. Stuffing some notes and spare change into her pocket, she slipped on his brother's jacket, the one she'd grown fond of and decided, she would at least buy that mug she returned. So walking out the door, she headed to the mall, feeling a whole lot more vulnerable without Sasuke by her side.

She sat on a bench, legs crossed and surrounded with bags of '**necessities**', her blonde friend sitting to the right of her. Scowling, she picked at her nails, clean, manicured and polished. She'd been having a good day, bought a cute top, new designer jeans, drank bubble tea and then she sees Sasuke, the day becomes a whole lot better, and then some dweeby little freak ruins it.

She wondered what absurd reason there could be for Sasuke chasing after a girl. Maybe she touched his ass and he went to bash her. Yeah, that was probably it. I mean who wouldn't want to feel up that tight ass, neh? She smiled, like a carnivore eyeing fresh meat. Her day was looking up again, just running different situations that the dweeb would get herself into.

Still grinning, she barely noticed the pale girl walk past her, flicking her up eyes to Sakura than looking away just as _briefly. _When Sakura had noticed, the grin was wiped from her face. Scowling as she wondered what the freak could be doing here again, alone this time. Hissing at Ino to stay and take care of the stuff they bought, she stood to follow, kicking one of her bags in irritation, not caring that all her cute tops scattered on the floor.

Hinata tapped her fingers on the counter top impatiently, watching the check out boy repeatedly scan the thin strip of red light over the barcode without success. Finally the darned thing beeped and she handed him some money. He took it, and painstakingly slow, he searched for the button that would open the cash register. He found it, eventually, and with a ka-ching! He began sorting her change, then recounting it.

She couldn't help but squirm, she really wanted to go home, there was something bad in the air, malevolence of some sort that she couldn't explain. There was defiantly bad karma. The check out boy grinned awkwardly, handing her a plastic bag with a longing in his eyes to be approved. It must have been his first job.

"T-thank you, you did well." She said softly, and he grinned, blue eyes gleaming with pride. She smiled at him, almost forgetting that dead feeling that grew in her gut. It came back though, as soon as a rude girl behind her nudged her to keep moving.

She bit her lower lip, controlling the urge to sprint back home, at least until she was out the automatic doors.

"You. Dweeb. Whoever you are."

Hinata kept walking, oblivious that someone was trying to talk to her. She yelped when something roughly grabbed her shoulder and turned her around.

"You. Dweeb."

---------

Sasuke kicked open the door, flinging the keys into a dish of change that sat on the hall mantelpiece. Heaving two heavy bags of MacDonald's inside, the door closed with a click and he wished maybe that Hinata had come to greet him, but no, she was still sitting on the couch, the indigo bob of her hair shivering. Frowning, he figured it out fast enough and dumping the food on the kitchen table, he jumped over the couch, to be by her side, ready to aid her with whatever the reason that her cheeks were stained with tears.

He peered at her concerned, she returned his gaze with a weak smile, she hiccupped softly, then tried to laugh it off.

"H-here, I-I g-got this m-mug for y-you," she held it out to him, and he wondered what the hell was going on. Taking the cup, her hiccups turned into sighs.

"Um, Thank You." She looked up again, smiling through her tears.

"I m-met your g-girlfriend, w-was she the r-reason you w-were scared?" His confusion only deepened.

"Girlfriend? What girlfriend?" She giggled, hugging a cushion tighter and snuggling the side of her face into it.

"T-the l-loud one... pink haired... big forehead..."

She sighed softly, the smell and sight of Sasuke just being there made the whole world feel like a better place. She leaned to the side, letting he body fall onto his lap, just watching the various faces that he made as he deciphered the conversation.

"Y-You mean Sakura? Ahh... Fff.. fruitcake."

He leaned back, running a hand through his glossy hair.

"She's not my girlfriend. I don't have one, and if I did it would be you." She squealed, pulling the cushion over her head to hide. He smirked, she was happy now, that's all he needed to know. He jiggled his knee, making her whine in annoyance as her head got knocked around.

"Come on. The food will get cold."

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Later that night, Sasuke sipped warm cocoa from his new mug, a ridiculous cartoon printed onto it reading: Coffee tastes best when you're naked with family. Sure, he didn't get it but it made him chuckle. He sipped thoughtfully, eyeing the calendar on his wall, marked with red scribbles and little cartoons that Hinata had doodled all over it on one rainy afternoon... School would start in two weeks. He sighed, complications that only drew closer and closer to drive him crazy. He shrugged, taking another sip of warm cocoa from his new and most favourite mug, and he swore that the cocoa tasted the best it had ever tasted that night. He heard his door squeak, soft foot steps on his carpet and then the bed sink with weight beside him.

"Sasuke, I can't sleep."

He raised an eyebrow.

"Have you tried counting sheep?"

"I don't like sheep, one bit me once at a fair."

"Count fish."

"You like fish?" She stretched out on his bed, wearing new pyjamas printed with Leunig illustrations.

"Yes, I do." He growled, "They're sexy."

She laughed at him, rolling around to lie on her stomach.

"Do you have any bedtime books?"

He thought for a moment, his shelves used to be stacked with them, but where were they now?

"Used to."

She sighed, stealing his pillow to snuggle into it.

"We should find them then." She sighed, a brilliant idea came to her.

Abruptly so, that the cocoa in his mug nearly spilled over the edge, she's bounced off his bed, grabbing him by the elbow to lead him out of the room. Setting his cocoa down on his desk, he realized that by the time he went back to drink it, it would have probably have long gone cold.

------------------------------

The attic was a strange place, it always had been, like a treasure room of old forgotten chapters of a century old book, and like most old forgotten books, they get dusty, and when you touch them they dust floats around and gets up your nose to make you sneeze. So that's why Sasuke sported a dust mask when he climbed up that rickety ladder, Hinata climbing a few ladder rungs behind him, often head butting him softly on the behind and telling him how ridiculous he looked, Sasuke muffled out a playful grumble, telling her that she'd regret it later.

Bringing with them a flourish of fresh air, the dust rose and began to dance in swirls, visible in the streaks of moonlight that lay in broken patches on the musty floor. Hinata began to sneeze the moment she stepped in, and she knew well enough that he was smirking under the dust mask that as of now, envied.

"Well, this is it, my whole childhood in this one place." He spread his arms out, a 'let's go explore' gesture, that to her despair made the dust swirl more energetically. She sneezed.

"You know," … He waited for it. She sneezed. "You're lucky you have a whole room,"…. He waited again, walking slowly and warily over the creaking floorboards to some sealed boxes. She sneezed. "Some people can pack their whole life into a candy box." She held her nose, stifling another squeaky sounding rush of air. He decided that it would be kind to steal some boxes down stairs and then come again perhaps when she also had a dust mask.

"Come on, we'll take these boxes." She nodded, eyes glistening in the moonlight, watery and sparkling, and slightly red. He sighed, pulling off his mask and offering it to her, she held it to her face, muttering a thank you and he slipped the elastic over her head, letting it rest on the back of her neck.

"Let's go." He said, picking up a box labelled books and then sneezed.

---------------------------------------

Using a Stanley knife to slit open the duct tape, he sighed, finding the noise quite enjoyable to hear. The box almost popped open, and Hinata was on it almost immediately, pulling out everything that Sasuke had long forgotten. Bedtime books, Picture books, Fairytales, even some of those books you write when you're tiny and in prep.

Sasuke guffawed at them, they were so badly illustrated, and he wondered how on earth you were meant to read his 5 year old scribble, but Hinata thought they were cute, insisting that he read her one of his pre-school works, called _fishy is gold, gold fishy swims,_ along with a thick collection of fairytales. Sasuke eyed the fairytale book with contempt and Hinata promised him that he'd only have to read a few.

He sighed and agreed, and that's how Hinata ended up snuggled deep in his bed sheets, eye's bright with excitement like a child in a candy store, him sitting on the bed where her feet ended, leaning his back against the wall. He started with the fairytales first, embarrassed at his own attempt at a book a long time ago.

She picked a fairy tale, and he read with the emotion of the scene, and accents for the characters included, which made her both laugh and cry, and soon Hinata's eyes had drooped, she snuggled deeper into the comfort of his bed and her words were few, often soft and tired. Sasuke was convinced that they were done, and shut the thick book with a soft snap. Hinata stirred, eyes still closed, voice barely there.

"Sasuke… read your book…" He sighed, leaning his head to the side to watch the softly sighing lump of person. Funny, three weeks and day ago I hardly knew you… and now I can't imagine life without you.

"Read.." She mumbled, the tiny ball that was her head shifting in the sheets, her dark hair falling in different places, where ever gravity thought that it should've been. He sighed, grabbing the book that had 'accidently' fallen somewhere into the crevice where the bed met the wall.

"Fishy is gold. Gold fishy swims." Sasuke could imagine the content smile that danced lightly on her sleepy face.

"Written and Illustrated by Sasuke Uchiha." He flipped the page, his own eyes feeling heavier than usual.

"Once upon a time," _Ha, Classic._

"There was fish, he had gold scales." Sasuke chuckled at the yellow coloured blob, wearing a stupid happy expression on its.. er face.

"He had a mum, a dad, and a big brother, he could swim the faster than any fish in the whole pond, except his big brother." Some more different coloured blobs.

"One day, he swam so fast, that he swam into another pond. He was sad because he didn't know where his mum and dad and big brother went." The yellow blob had a big blue splodge hanging from it's eye, which he guessed was a tear.

"He saw a fish with silver scales." This time there was a grey blob, red on its cheeks with three eye lashes attached to two dots that were the eyes. A girl fish… _Oh dear_…

"They became friends…" He looked back at Hinata, her breathing deep and even, her dark eye lashes resting softly against her rosy cheeks. She was already asleep, and he was tired too. Closing his book, he set it down by his cold cocoa, prying her from the bed sheets, she curled tight against him as he carried her back to her own room, mumbling into his sleep skivvy.

"Let's do this… every night…"

Leaning down to whisper a yes in her ear, his lips touched the skin of her cheek instead and she smiled softly before drifting deep into the soothing dark where she'd dream of dusty rooms, fish with gold scales and most of all, a boy with ebony eyes and glossy black hair.

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A/N The confrontation with Sakura (definitely a villain), you'll find out what happens later, k? You just gotta be patient with me. Now, this one's a longer than usual chapter, I thought I'd spoil you a bit, since it's the holidays and this one really needed an update. Do I hear people smiling for my fluff? 00 Hmm. Anyway thank you for reviews :) they make me happy. Enjoy Easter everyone!


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